Signaling mechanism.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1 907.

W. A. PEARCE. SIGNALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOY.28,1906.

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- No. 856,290.- PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

W. A. PEARCE.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.28,1906.

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PATBNTED JUNE 11, 1907.

W. A. PEARCE. SIGNALING MECHANISM. APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV.28,1906.

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WALTER ALLAN PEARCE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed November 28,1906. Serial No. 345,536.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TVALTER ALLAN PEARCE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at WVest Dulwich, London, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signaling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signaling mechanism, and has for its object to construct an improved form of electrically controlled coupling between the operating rod and the rod which is connected to the signal.

Couplings of the description above mentioned are now Well known, and various forms of mechanism have been designed for obtaining the desired end. In couplings of this kind the mechanical connection between the operating and signal rods of the signal to enable the signal to be set is controlled by an electro-magnet, and an important feature of the present invention consists in the provision of means whereby the electric circuit through the said magnet is finally completed by the first portion of the movement of the operating rod, whereby waste of current, due to the circuit of the controlling magnet being completed before the signal is required to be used, is avoided.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a signal coupling embodying one form of the invention, Fig. 2 being a side view of the same in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical connections of the signal mechanism so far as they relate to the present invention, and also shows a modification in form of some of the parts of the signal coupling.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the signal arm or other device of like nature isbonnected through a signal rod 1 to a box or case 2 which is free to revolve upon a bushing 3 j ournaled upon a stud 4:. The stud 4 is arranged to be attached to a signal post or other convenient stationary part of the apparatus by means of a base plate 5. The op erating rod 6, which is adapted to be moved.

by the ordinary signal wire for example (see Fig. 3), is connected to the bushing 3 by means of an arm 8 outside the box 2. The said bushing 3 is also rigidly connected Within the box 2 to an arm 9, hereinafter referred to as the operating arm. The operating arm 9 carries a contact brush 10 adapted 'to make and break connection between two contacts 11 and 12 fixed'to the box 2, these two contacts forming a switch in the circuit of the controlling electro-magnet 13. It will be understood that the circuit of the magnet 13 is further controlled by other devices dependent upon the presence of a train in the section, the position of the points, or other wise in any well-known way. Such further control is indicated diagrammatically in the figures by the switch 30. Pivoted at 14 to the box 2 is an arm 15 which is connected by a link 16 to one arm 17 of a bell crank lever, also pivoted at 18 to the box 2, the link 16 and the arm 17 of the bell crank lever beingarranged to constitutea knuckle joint. The other arm 19 of the said bell crank lever is connected to one end of a bar 20, the other end of which is connected to a link 21 pivoted to the box 2 at 22. The bar carries the armature 23 of the controlling electro-magnet 13. The link 16 is provided with a projection 24 limiting the movement in one direction of the knuckle joint 16 and 17 so as to prevent the three pivots 18, 25, 26 ever moving into one straight line. A stud 27 on the operating arm 9 is adapted to engage with one end of the arm 15 so as to transmit the movement of the operating arm 9 to the arm 15 and its connections, while a smaller stud 28 on the arm 9' serves to return the arm 15 to its original position when the operating rod 6 is moved to re-set the signal.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming the signal is at its normal or danger position and that the operating rod 6 is moved to cause the signal to show line clear, the first part of the movement of the operating rod 6 causes the bushing 3 and its attached operating arm 9 to bring the brush 10 into contact with the contacts 11 and 12, thereby causing the electro-magnet 13 to be energized if this is otherwise permitted. A further movement of the operating arm 9 causes its stud 27 to engage with the arm 15 and to act through the link 16 upon the bell crank lever '17, 19. If the control ling electro-magnet 13 is energized, the armature 23 is held in the attracted position, as shown in the figures, so as to prevent the bell crank lever 17 19 from moving on its pivot.

By this means the thrust of the operating rod 6 acting on the bell crank lever pivot 18 causes the box 2 and its entire mechanism to rotate upon the bushing 3, thereby actuating the signal rod 1 so as to cause the signal arm to give the required indication. If, while the mechanism is in this position, the circuit of be caused, but the box 2 and the signal rod 1 will remain stationary.

It will, of course, be understood that the switch in the circuit of the controlling electro-inagnet 13 constituted by the contacts 11, 12 and the brush need not necessarily be located in the box 2 of the signal coupling but may be placed in any convenient situation provided that the said switch is ar ranged to be closed by the first part of the movement of the operating rod. In Fig. 3 such a modification isillustrated, the switch contact 10, 11, 12 being replaced by two spring contacts 31 and 32 which are held apart by a projection 33 on the operating lever 34 when the said lever is in the danger position. As soon, however, as the lever 34 is operated to cause a movement of the operating rod 6 by means of the signal wire 39 and the Weighted lever 40, the contacts 31 and 32 complete the circuit through the controlling electro-magnet 13 (provided this is permitted by the device thus enabling l the further movement of the operating rod 6 to set the signal to line clear in the manner already described with reference to Fig. 1. In Fig. 3 is also shown a modified form of connection of the bell crank lever 17, 19 to the armature 23 of the controlling electromagnet 13. The arm 19 of the said bell crank lever is connected to a bar 35, the free end of which is adapted to engage with a notch in the short arm 36 of a bell crank lever pivoted to the box 2 at 38, the other and longer arm of this bell crank lever forming the armature 23 of the controlling magnet 13. The operation of this form of the signal coupling is substantially the same as that already described with reference to Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the manner of carrying out the invention may be varied in many respects from that just described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described. my invention I claim:

1. In signaling mechanism, the combination with a signal rod and an operating rod, of electrically controlled means comprising a magnet interposed between said. rods for transmitting motion from one to the other, and a circuit controller for said. electrically controlled means connected to said. operating means whereby upon a preliminary move ment of the operating rod the circuit controller is moved to close a circuit through the magnet of the electrically controlled means.

2. In signaling mechanism the combination with a box pivoted on a fixed support, a signal rod connected to said box, an operating arm pivoted within said box to move independently thereof, an operating rod connected to said arm, an electro-magnet, a circuit controller carried by said operating arm for controlling the circuit through said magnet, an arm pivoted on said box, a pivoted lever carrying the armature of the magnet,

and a toggle connectedto the pivoted lever and the arm pivoted to the box.

WALTER ALLAN PEARCE.

Witnesses:

FRANK P. MoULDEN, OLDHAM' VVALMESLEY. 

